What does "deposit" mean?
Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems.
Deposit
/dɪˈpɒzɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems.
- Grammar: deposit is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: down payment, accumulate, accumulation, acquitment.
- Useful contrasts: quick scrape, withdrawn, abstract adjective.
- Usage evidence: Some people do not like to deposit their money in banks.
How to use "deposit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "deposit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "deposit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "deposit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "deposit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "deposit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "down payment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "deposit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems.
"Newly discovered oil and gas deposits at Nan-ch'ung in Szechwan also promise to be of increasing importance."
- 2 the act of putting something somewhere wordnet
- 3 Bailment of personal property to be kept gratuitously for the bailor (depositor) and without any benefit to the bailee (depositary), e.g. for storage, carriage, repair, etc.
- 4 a facility where things can be deposited for storage or safekeeping wordnet
- 5 Money placed in a bank account, as for safekeeping or to earn interest.
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a payment given as a guarantee that an obligation will be met wordnet
- 7 Anything left behind on a surface.
"a mineral deposit"
- 8 matter that has been deposited by some natural process wordnet
- 9 A sum of money or other asset given as an initial payment, to show good faith, or to reserve something for purchase.
"They put down a deposit on the apartment."
- 10 the phenomenon of sediment or gravel accumulating wordnet
- 11 A sum of money given as a security for a borrowed item, which will be given back when the item is returned, e.g. a bottle deposit or can deposit
- 12 money given as security for an article acquired for temporary use wordnet
- 13 A place of deposit; a depository.
- 14 a partial payment made at the time of purchase; the balance to be paid later wordnet
- 15 money deposited in a bank or some similar institution wordnet
- 16 the natural process of laying down a deposit of something wordnet
Verb
- 1 To lay down; to place; to put. transitive
"A crocodile deposits her eggs in the sand."
- 2 put, fix, force, or implant wordnet
- 3 To lay up or away for safekeeping; to put up; to store.
"to deposit goods in a warehouse"
- 4 put (something somewhere) firmly wordnet
- 5 To entrust one's assets to the care of another. Sometimes done as collateral.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 put into a bank account wordnet
- 7 To put money or funds into an account. transitive
"I had to deposit two months' rent into my landlord's account before he gave me the keys."
- 8 To lay aside; to rid oneself of.
"reform and deposit his error"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Some people do not like to deposit their money in banks."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "deposit"?
Common synonyms include: down payment, accumulate, accumulation, acquitment, acquittal, acquittance.
How do you use "deposit" in a sentence?
Some people do not like to deposit their money in banks.
How do you pronounce "deposit"?
Pronounced /dɪˈpɒzɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó Proto-Indo-European *teḱ-der. Proto-Indo-European *tḱey-der. Proto-Italic *sinō Proto-Italic *pozinō Old Latin *poznō Latin pōnō Latin dēpōnō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin deposituslbor. English deposit Learned borrowing from Latin depositus, past participle of depono (“put down”). Doublet of depot.